A blow to riders in China

Why are some motorcycle manufacturers hesitant about going into China?

News out of one Chinese city, Guangzhou, shows how unpredictable the country’s government can be. The industrial city of Guangzhou has issued an edict that will ban motorcycles — at least 260,000 and counting — from its streets starting Jan. 1, according to the Seattle Times.

City officials blame motorcycles for traffic and pollution woes. Plus, motorcycles were involved in about half the city's accidents last year.

In other China news, manufacturers there exported 6.36 million motorcycles from March to October, up 21.3 percent from the same period last year. Their value was $2.25 billion, up 39.8 percent. On average, unit prices rose 15.3 percent, according to People’s Daily Online.